StormyEve

She crouched beside the Arcane Tower in the dark, in the bushes, steadying her breaths. One…two…one…two…
The Arcane Flight: she hated them. They were full of stuffed shirts, airheads who understood little about science and less about why it mattered. She was trained for stealth, but the buzzing of her steampunk comm-link still startled her.
“Get moving.”
“Of course,” she whispered, and rose on silent wings.
Lightning lanced through the air, crackling white and ominous. The clouds concentrated thick and black at the very peak of the high tower. And, Stormy thought, they were forming a dark spiral. She held her breath as she passed the huge glass windows. The frail Arcane dragons were crouched over their scientific instruments. Oblivious.
So she thought.
She’d stolen little fragments before — chargers, cords, and even small generators. This time, though, she sought the massive, neon-blue jewel resting at the very top. Whether it was an important component or just aesthetic, something about it drew her.
It wasn’t common for non-assassins to be a part of the Ebon Rose. As much as Stormy loathed the Arcane, she could never raise a talon against one. Still, the hazy circle that formed the Ebon Rose’s upper counsel supported her endeavors and praised her for her stealth.
She soared upward, the only sound quiet wind. The blue jewel atop the tower came into view, glimmering invitingly.
She reached for it and was blinded abruptly by a spotlight.
“There she is!” someone roared. This proclamation was followed by steam-powered homing missiles. She jerked right as one clipped her wing and knocked her forward, striking her off-balance. The tower blurred in her vision.
Guess this is my last mission here. Oops.
Her claws made contact with the jewel. Current rippled through her. She clenched her prize tight between her paws and gritted her teeth.
She wasn’t prepared for the crushing pressure exploding at the base of her skull. The light bleached the world scalding white for one heartbeat. Tingling numbness spread through her arms, legs, wings and jaws. Like a broken toy, she fell forward into the dark.

~*~

Evegondawu.
Huh? She cracked an eye open and blew dust from her nose. Something slimy was crawling over her.
No. A lot of somethings.
When she tried to rise, they scampered away.
As her vision cleared, a mess of skinks and two small Mirrors crouched slightly away from her. Their eyes were all bright with curiosity.
“Evegondawu,” the nearest one said. The voice was a hiss.
Stormy closed her eyes against the dull ache. Someone was holding a wooden bowl of spicy soup beneath her nostrils. She drank and sneezed from the taste.
A Mirror whispered more gibberish, then hit on a word Stormy recognized: “Rest.”
“That seems like a great idea,” she muttered. She heard the faint static from her comm-link a little way away, but felt no urge to reach for it.

~*~

Over the next few weeks, she learned:
The skinks lived with the Mirrors in the misty shadows outside the Arcane tower. The Mirrors had been raised by the skinks and thought they were the same species. Their cooking was good, filling, and nutritious.
And they worshiped the blue jewel she’d stolen.
She caught them at it late one evening when she awoke randomly from sleep. The Mirrors and skinks were in a ring, rubbing their cheeks against the shiny surface.
She watched, bemused. After all, she’d intended to sell the stone — hadn’t given it more thought than infuriating the Arcane.
The night before she felt well enough to use her wings, one of the Kite’s appeared on the fringes of the clearing, a red shade at dusk. The skinks and mirrors hid behind Stormy’s wings.
But she got to her feet with a laugh and embraced the member of the Ebon Rose. Kitewielder, it was.
Kitewielder’s voice was gruff, apparently unpleased by the contact. “Are you done playing god to this tribe of simpletons? We’ve been waiting for you.”
Stormy’s face fell. “Have you?”
“Yes. Did you find anything of value on your last mission?”
Stormy hesitated. She glanced back at the skinks and Mirrors.
“Well?” Kitewielder half-smiled.
“No,” Stormy said. “But — but I’m ready to return to you all on the morrow.”
When Kitewielder vanished into the shadows, Stormy hid the jewel deep in one of the Mirrors’ dens and embraced all of them, settling down beside the fire for one last sleep with her adoptive family.

Short Description:
StormyEve — who goes by Stormy sometimes — is a non-assassin member of the Ebon Rose. When she isn’t using her ability to fly silently to steal things, she enjoys watching sunsets on the beach. A predominantly blue-green dragon, Stormy is quick to laugh but slow to give away her feelings. She is a secretive but entertaining dragon.